Allium plant named ‘bubble bath’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Allium  ornamental onion plant named ‘Bubble Bath’ is a large upright habit, with glaucous, stiff, broad, strap-like, upright, flattened, gray-green foliage with slight longitudinal twisting, and numerous, tightly-clustered, light lavender flowers forming a large, globose, upright umbels. The new plant is useful for containers, landscaping and cut flowers.

Botanical classification: Allium hybrid (Linnaeus).

Variety denomination: ‘Bubble Bath’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)

The first public disclosure of the claimed plant, in the form of aphotograph and brief description on a website operated by WaltersGardens, Inc. on Feb. 1, 2022. No plants of Allium ‘Bubble Bath’ havebeen sold in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has anydisclosure of the new plant been made, more than one year prior to thefiling date of this application, and such sale or disclosure within oneyear was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct ornamental onion,Allium ‘Bubble Bath’ was developed by the inventor at a wholesaleperennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA as the result a greenhousecross of proprietary unreleased selection known as 14-SP-ALL-311 (notpatented) and ‘Nor'easter’ (not patented) on Jun. 23, 2014. Seeds fromthis pollination were collected in fall of 2014 and were sown later thatsame year. The plant was originally selected in the summer of 2016 andgiven the breeder code 14-1-1.

Allium ‘Bubble Bath’ has been successfully asexually propagated bydivision method since 2016 at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland,Mich., and was found to be stable and produce identical plants thatmaintain the unique characteristics of the original plant throughmultiple generations.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Allium ‘Bubble Bath’ differs from its parents as well as all otherornamental onion known to the applicant. The most similar known Alliumcultivars are: ‘Serendipity’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 32,023, ‘Millenium’(not patented), and ‘Blue Eddy’ (not patented).

‘Blue Eddy’ has a much shorter habit, smaller and more curved leaves,smaller flower globes, and light lilac-pink-colored flowers, floweringmuch later in the season. ‘Millenium’ has a smaller habit, darkerrosy-purple flowers beginning about the same time as the new plant, andless-glaucous green leaves. ‘Serendipity’ has a smaller habit, darkerrosy-purple flowers and begins flowering about two weeks later than thenew plant.

The female parent has narrower, glossy, green leaves with smallerinflorescences of darker purple flowers. The male parent has widerfoliage and white flowers on larger inflorescences.

Allium ‘Bubble Bath’ differs from these above cultivars and allunregistered cultivars known to the inventor in the following combinedtraits:

-   -   1. Glaucous, upright, stiff, broad, strap-like, flattened,        gray-green foliage with slight longitudinal twisting;    -   2. Moderately compact habit, drought tolerant, rabbit and deer        resistant, medium-sized clumps;    -   3. Numerous, tightly-clustered, light-lavender flowers forming a        large, dense, globose umbel;    -   4. Strong stems hold flower head globes upright through        flowering and seed production.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance ofthe plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation incolor.

FIG. 1 shows the side-view habit of a three-year-old plant in earlyflowering.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the umbel with flowers and buds.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Allium ‘Bubble Bath’,has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype mayvary slightly with different environmental conditions, such astemperature, light, fertility, moisture, and maturity levels, butwithout any change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of a three-year-old plant in a display garden of awholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. under full sun withsupplemental water and fertilizer as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Allium hybrid;-   Parentage: Female or seed parent was 14-SP-ALL-311, the male or    pollen parent was ‘Nor'easter’;-   Propagation method: By division;-   Growth rate: Vigorous, flowering in 4-liter containers in about 12    weeks;-   Rooting habit: Fibrous from base of bulbs, lightly branching; color    nearest RHS 158C;-   Plant habit description: Dense clump of bulbs with sessile rosulate    foliage about 90 cm across and about 48 cm tall; flowering to about    84 cm tall and inflorescences to about 106 cm across;-   Bulbs: Elongated conical shape; about 7 cm long and 1.5 cm diameter    at base; average about 42 per plant; color nearest RHS 155D;-   Leaves: Sessile; linear; glaucous, glabrous dull surfaces;    semi-succulent; simple; margin entire; sharply acute apex, truncate    base; slightly twisted longitudinally nearly 360°; mostly flat;    about 47 cm long, about 14 mm across near middle and to about 3 mm    thick near middle; arranged in two-ranked tuffs from bulb; about 12    leaves per bulb; fragrance onion-scented;-   Leaf color: Expanding adaxial and abaxial nearest RHS 138B; mature    adaxial and abaxial between RHS N138B and RHS 137A distally with    basal one-eighth transitioning to nearest RHS 145D;-   Leaf venation: Parallel; color same as leaf abaxial and adaxial;-   Inflorescence: In dense terminal umbel; about 350 to 450 flowers per    inflorescence; to about 63 and an average of about 42 inflorescences    per plant; globose, about 9 cm across and about 9 cm tall, rarely    with satellite projections of four to six flowers on a single    pedicel base extending an additional 2 cm; lasting about five weeks;    onion-like fragrance; beginning in mid-July to mid-August in    Michigan and continuing for three weeks;-   Blooming habit: One terminal umbel inflorescence per stem; with    upright globe in bud, remaining upright as initial flowers open;-   Flowers: Campanulate; incomplete; perfect; with two sets of three    tepals, outer set smaller than inner; inferior ovary; actinomorphic;    upward, outwardly, and drooping attitude depending on position in    umbel; individually effective about four to six days; from base to    exerted stamens to about 12 mm long and corolla to about 12 mm    across;-   Tepals (outer set): ovate to deltoid; convex; glabrous; lustrous;    acute apex, fused truncate base; about 6.5 mm long and about 3.5 m    across;-   Tepal (inner set): Ovate to deltoid; flat; glabrous; lustrous; acute    apex, broadly acute base; about 8 mm long and to about 4 mm across;-   Tepal color (inner and outer sets identical): Adaxial nearest RHS    84D, abaxial nearest RHS 84D;-   Buds one day prior to opening: Globose slightly flattened on three    sides; rounded base, rounded apex; about 8 mm long and about 5.5 mm    diameter at widest point near middle;-   Bud color: Variable; with some tepal midribs nearest RHS N75A and    other midribs nearest RHS N75C and tepal margins between RHS 84D and    RHS NN155D;-   Pedicel: Cylindrical; stiff; upward, outwardly, and drooping    depending on orientation in umbel; glabrous; glaucous; about 25 mm    long and about 0.5 mm diameter;-   Pedicel color: Nearest RHS 138A;-   Peduncle: Glabrous, glaucous; flattened trapezoid to nearly ovoidal    with two wings in cross-section; to about 62.5 cm long, base about    11 mm wide and about 7 mm thick;-   Peduncle color: Basal 5 to 10 cm nearest RHS 138A, distally nearest    RHS N138A;-   Gynoecium: Pistil single; to about 12.5 mm long;    -   -   Style.—Single; cylindrical; glabrous; elongating after            flower opening to about 7 mm long, about 0.5 mm across when            mature; color between RHS 84D and RHS NN155D.        -   Stigma.—Globose; about 0.2 mm across; color nearest RHS            NN155C.        -   Ovary.—Distinctly tri-loculed; obcordate, wider at apex and            slightly narrower at base; about 3 mm long and 3.5 mm across            at acute apex and 3 mm across at truncate base; color            between RHS 84D and RHS NN155D at apex and nearest RHS            NN155D at base.-   Androecium: Typically, six, rarely seven; exserted to about 11 mm    long;    -   -   Anther.—Oblong; about 2 mm long and about 1 mm wide;            basifixed; longitudinal; color between RHS 197C and RHS            N187C.        -   Filament.—Exserted; glabrous; cylindrical distally,            flattened in proximal 3 mm; to about 10 mm long and 3 mm            across at base and about 0.5 mm diameter below anther; color            nearest RHS 84D distally and lightening to nearest RHS            NN155D at base.        -   Pollen.—Abundant; color nearest RHS 11C.-   Fruit: Tri-valved loculicidal capsule; about 6.0 mm long and 4.5 mm    across; typically dehiscing to within about 1.0 mm of base; one to    three seeded; color upon maturity nearest RHS 199D;-   Seed: Prolific; elliptic, flattened along one long side; about 2.5    mm long and about 1.5 mm across; color nearest RHS 202A;-   Disease and pest resistance: Ornamental onions typically resist deer    and rabbit feeding. Resistance beyond that of other ornamental    onions has not been observed. Allium ‘Bubble Bath’ plant grows best    with good drainage and is able to tolerate some drought when    established. Winter hardiness at least from USDA zone 4 through 8.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Allium plant named ‘BubbleBath’ as herein described and illustrated.